First Impressions – a Sims 4 Mod

If you have played the game a bit since Sentiments were added, you may have noticed already that they are quite shifting. To explain it simply:
– They have an ‘expiration date’ like moodlets;
– They can be removed if another sentiment is added and takes their place;
– They can be diminished or removed if a sentiment of opposite polarity is added.
More on this in the next collapsible section.

Only one major sentiment can be had at a time.
This is my understanding of what happens when a new long term sentiment tries to be added in on top of an existing one (only my understanding, I may have interpreted something wrong somewhere):
-If the new one is positive or the same polarity as the one already there, it replaces it.
– If it’s positive and the current one is negative, if the current one is over 3/4 expired it will leave and be replaced, otherwise the current negative sentiment stays and the new one is not added.
– If a major sentiment gets added and its polarity is opposite to that of existing minor sentiments, those will be removed.
– After all this happened – if the sentiment did get added – then it will impact other remaining sentiments generally by reinforcing those of same polarity and weakening those of different polarity.

Upon adding a Minor Sentiment:
This is my understanding of what happens when a new short term sentiment tries to be added in on top of an existing one (only my understanding, I may have interpreted something wrong somewhere):
Several minor sentiments can be had at the same time, although there is a maximum of 4.
– If the new sentiment is negative, it will replace all the existing ones that are not of the same polarity
– if the current one is positive and the new one is positive the new one gets added
– if max sentiment number is reached, current ones will be removed first.
– if the negative short term sentiment that is the strongest is halfway expired, sentiments will leave, making room for the new one.
– if the new sentiment failed to apply altogether, a penalty of time will be applied to existing sentiments (decreasing their total possible duration by a quarter, generally).
– After all this happened – if the sentiment did get added – then it will impact other remaining sentiments generally by reinforcing those of same polarity and weakening those of different polarity.
– If a major sentiment gets added and its polarity is opposite to that of existing minor sentiments, those will be removed. 

All this matters mostly for version choice and what happens to Sims later on for the First Impressions to leave, because this mod applies at meeting new Sims and therefore there are no previous sentiments between them to worry about.

– Sims meet each other, ie, use an introduction interaction. Nice to meet you (or not)!
– The system looks at the newly encountered Sim’s CAS / Personality traits.
– It picks one trait to look at more closely. Call it the dominant characteristic at that moment, that pops out to the other Sim.
– Once that is done, it looks at your Sim’s traits – possibly focusing on one in particular that would drastically change the outcome with the other Sim’s trait under study (good or evil for example, or ‘loner’ in the case of another Sim who is ‘outgoing’, etc – it all depends on trait pairs) – and decides accordingly what possible First Impressions are available.
– Among those, it chooses one.

Will Sims always see one trait the same way? No. Sims may feel nicer towards some than others even for the same trait because there is a bit of chance left to this.
However, this is not true for traits that truly clash, or traits that truly match. In a case of a true clash or a true match, the outcome is more predictable (for example, a Sim who is self-assured will look at other self-assured Sims positively more often than other Sims IF on first encounter, that is the trait that stands out to them (ie if the system decides to look at this specific trait).

The system tries to emulate a First Impression, ie an impression based on only one dominant facet of personality as exposed at this specific moment, and not a full picture).

– Moodlets will pop up in proximity to crushes, anti-crushes, untrustworthy and interesting Sims.
– Moodlets can happen after interacting with Sims with whom a first impression is shared. They are very likely to happen when interacting with a crush, anti-crush, untrustworthy or intereting Sim. They are less likely the rest of the time otherwise you’d get flooded with moodlets. There are a few different moodlets based on first impressions. See image gallery. Three possible moodlets can be obtained after interacting with a Crush, for example.

– First Impresssions mildly impact romance and friendship development (note: I will eventually update Road to Romance version A and C so that the impact of Romance development be impacted more strongly by negative First Impressions if those two mods are installed together).
– First Impressions impact autonomy (to a minor degree) towards entering an interaction context with other Sims. For example a Sim is 4 times more likely to start interacting with a Sim they crush on than with a standard Sim.

Admirable
Adventurous
Annoying
Anti-Crush
Brutally Honest
Capable
Clingy
Controlling
Cool
Crush
Distant
Dramatic
Egocentric
Impact-Conscious
Emotionally Expressive
Fun to Be Around
Funny
Overly Energetic
Imaginative
Immature
In Dreamland
Intense
Interesting
Nature Maniac
Of Good Character
Pretentious
Proper and Polite
Reasonable
Responsible
Rude
Strong-Minded
Stuck-Up
Superficial
Tasteful
Unreliable
Untrustworthy
Weird

If the optional module is installed, using special introductions shifts the system. ‘Funny introduction’ has 35% chance of giving the ‘Funny’ impression to the listener; if it doesn’t pas the usual system will pass. Same for ‘Rude Introduction’ and the ‘Rude’ Impression, except chances are 40%. ‘Flirty introduction’ has 30% of giving crush; if that doesn’t pass, 20% of giving ‘Anti-crush’ (nothing is more of a turn-off than a horrible pick-up line, don’t you think?); if that doesn’t pass, the usual system will come out and apply. Special Interactions yet to be added: Enchanting Introduction, Respectful Introduction, Polite Introduction.

This module contains the post-converqation moodlets that pop up sometimes when conversing with Sims towards whom certain First Impressions exist. If you don’t like this feature, you can remove that module.

If a Sentiment of opposite polarity is added (ie a Negative sentiment when there is a Positive First Impression, and vice versa, the First Impression WILL BE REMOVED. This is per game stuff and it makes sense to me.
BUT if it’s a sentiment of similar polarity, the impression won’t budge. I think it should (the First Impression being gradually replaced by knowledge of this person and history between them). So, that’s what this module does. It harmonizes things, and reduces First Impressions when another sentiment is added, even if it’s of the same polarity (this to the exclusion of the Crush impression, which will not be impacted).
With the ‘DiminishAtSimilarSentimentAdd’: the First Impressions have gone down at addition of the ‘Deeply Connected’ sentiment, because those Sims are getting to know each other much more closely and First Impressions are getting forgotten.

Without the ‘DiminishAtSimilarSentimentAdd’ module: The First Impressions do not budge when a Sentiment of similar polarity is added. (The impressions will STILL be removed / drastically weakened IF the sentiment added is of opposite polarity to that of the first impression).

– Custom traits are not recognized. If you want your fav sutom traits to be integrated, feel free to suggest (politely) to a creator to write to me, if they are willing to have their traits integrated into the system, I can do that!
– Foodie, Glutton, Dog Lover and Cat Lover are not recognized by the system.

If a custom trait or one of these traits is present:
– the system will skip it.
– If there are only unreadable traits, the system will default to giving out either the ‘Crush’, ‘Anti-crush’ or ‘Interesting’ impression.